Tag Archives: sega

In what may be the most brilliant marketing ploy of the new year, yesterday at the 2011 North American International Auto Show (aka Detroit Auto Show) Chevrolet launched the Sonic. The Sonic, which apparently is a revision on the Aveo, comes in two models; one that is very typical of a dreary sedan, and a hatchback that…well…looks an awful lot like Sonic the Hedgehog.

TWELVE

If you want to learn more about the car, please go elsewhere as this is probably the most poorly researched article you’ll find (something at which I excel). That’s because upon hearing the news I immediately went to Google images to compare photos of the popular Sega character with the car, the results of which are above.

SEVENTEEN

Now, I did see a tweet that claims GM had no intention of leveraging off the absolutely HUGE fanbase of Sonic the Hedgehog players, but being the father of an eighteen-year-old boy who grew up fanatical about this game, I have my doubts. What better way for an older established brand to break through to a young generation of car buyers than through a beloved video game character. I’m almost certain there’s a clever marketing genius at GM/Chevrolet that is delightfully rubbing his or her hands together at the thought of this coup.

TWENTY ONE

So what next? How soon before racing versions of Sonic the Hedgehog come out with cars that are identical to the Chevrolet Sonic? Will Ford panic and scramble to put out a Mario Kart version of the Escort? Only time will tell, but the lines between virtual and reality appear to be blurring.

Oh…and regarding those numbers above. As I started this post I sent the image above out on Twitter and those are the number of clicks so far. Game, Set, Match GM.